1. Field of the Invention
The teachings provided herein relate to an articulable crankset for converting a pedal-powered vehicle into a push-powered vehicle having the articulable crankset in a retracted position to provide at least less of an obstruction to a user's legs during use of the push-powered vehicle than a non-retractable crankset.
2. Description of Related Art
Most everyone has experienced learning how to ride a bicycle as well as witnessed watching, or even teaching, a child how to ride a bicycle. During the process of learning how to ride a bicycle, one of the goals is to reduce or eliminate fear, hesitancy, or rejection of biking. Training wheels have been used as the standard accessory for many years for teaching children how to ride a bicycle, and they continue to present problems that are all too familiar. For example, training wheel modified bicycles wobble from side to side and make the child feel unstable; and, the child is often positioned so uncomfortably high in the air that the child has difficulty touching the ground. Of course, one or a combination of these problems can create a situation that is quite terrifying to a child that is afraid to fall or that has fallen and doesn't want to get hurt again. In addition, training wheel modified bicycles teach a child how to steer and pedal but, unfortunately, the child does not learn how to balance. As such, the transition from a training wheel bicycle to a bicycle without training wheels can be daunting for anyone, since the sensation of balancing remains new and unfamiliar, and the fear of falling can be intense. Moreover, the parent teaching the child how to ride the bicycle usually will need to run alongside the bicycle to help prevent an injury to the child. Although this may be somewhat inconvenient for younger, active parents, this can be quite troublesome and difficult for less active parents, older parents, and grandparents. It may even be impossible. Tricycles aren't a good answer to the problem, because tricycles are unstable and susceptible to tipping over due to the instability that is inherent to the three-wheel structure. Also, tricycles aren't “a real bicycle” in the eyes of a child, and the child riding the tricycle does not learn the balancing that is required for the safe operation of a bicycle.
There are “push-bicycles” and “running bicycles” available on the market but these bicycles are either (i) not convertible from a pedal-powered bicycle to a push-bicycle, or (ii) do not leave the drive mechanism intact during the conversion, making the conversion inconvenient and difficult to perform, particularly when the user is in the process of using the bicycle. Some of these bicycles are made almost entirely out of wood, such as the Skuut Balance Bicycle, and are not capable of conversion to a pedal-powered bicycle. See www.skuut.com. As such, in order to have a pedal-powered bicycle, another bicycle must be purchased. There is also the BMW Kids Bicycle, which is convertible into a push-bicycle, but the drive mechanism does not remain intact. See http://www.bossbi.com/bicycle/bmw/bmwbicycles.php. In addition, these bicycles can also have abrupt and discontinuous surfaces exposed to a child's legs, causing discomfort and possible injury to the child's legs, even after removal of the cranks or crankset.
One of skill in the art will appreciate an articulable crankset that enables a bicycle to be quickly and easily converted from a pedal-powered bicycle to a push-powered bicycle while keeping the entire drive mechanism intact. A bicycle that is produced and sold as a new bicycle having this functionality will be appreciated, as will the availability of a conversion kit for existing bicycles to provide this functionality to a. One of skill will also appreciate the availability of a housing for a crankset that is designed to protect a child's legs from the abrupt and discontinuous surfaces on bicycles, as well as a steering limiter that would add to the safety of the user of the convertible bicycle.